Health & Defibrillator

There are two Defibrillator units, one located on the front wall of the Village Hall. The second is located at Ranksborough Park on the right-hand side pillar at the top of the drive, both units are checked weekly. Some 200 people per day suffer a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) and die unless they have medical assistance within four to five minutes. With CPR alone, survival rate can be as little as 5%, whereas by using an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) the survival rate can increase to 50%. The ‘Karen Ball Fund’ charity decided in 2001 to provide funding towards the provision of defibrillators in Rutland. More details and how to support this charity can be found on its website.In the event of a cardiac arrest the main points are: A need for urgency, move quickly and safelyImmediate commencement of manual chest compressions, these will provide a supply of oxygen to the heart whilst someone else is collecting the defibrillatorCall 999 to obtain the pin code and unlock the defibrillator cabinetTake the defibrillator and its ‘ready kit’ bag to where they are needed.Follow the instructions; the defibrillator will assess the hearts condition and shock it back into its correct rhythm if needed. Do not waste time trying to find a pulseIt is no longer thought necessary to use mouth-to-mouth resuscitation if the rescuer does not wish to do so, or has not been trainedThe defibrillator will provide clear vocal instructions designed to be followed by non-trained people. It cannot harm the patient and will not lead to any legal liability on the user as long as 999 has been called and ambulance service instructions followed. Together with chest compressions, defibrillators can make the difference between life and death whilst waiting for an ambulance to arrive.Richard Braithwaite